The Checkout: Giant Foods Loops In Waste-free Model; Swapples Acquired By Stone’s Throw

Giant Foods Partners With Loop For Circular Waste Model

Ten Washington D.C.-area Giant Foods stores will now feature reusable packaging options, powered by Terracycle’s Loop technology, the grocer announced earlier this week. The partnership marks Loop’s second retail launch, activating pilots of its circular waste model at 25 Kroger-owned Fred Meyer’s stores earlier this year.

“Giant is committed to taking sustainable actions that reduce plastic waste from our landfills and improve our environment,” said Diane Couchman, VP category management, nonperishables at Giant Food, in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Loop, a global leader in eliminating waste, to offer our customers a program that allows them to shop their favorite products and help our environment.”

Additionally, Loop will launch in select Duane Reade stores in New York City later this year via a partnership with the c-store chain’s parent company, Walgreens. The partnerships will see a dedicated Loop section in each store where consumers can shop for branded products, packaged in reusable materials. Once the customer has finished the product, its packaging can be returned to any Loop-partnered store, where it will be sterilized and refilled on-site by third-party cleaning solutions company, Ecolab.

“Loop’s goal has always been to grow, scale and be accessible to consumers around the world,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and Loop, in a statement. “With world-class retailers like Giant bringing Loop to their physical brick-and-mortar locations, we are giving consumers what they’ve been asking for since Loop was introduced in 2019 – the ability to purchase the products they use every day in durable reusable containers, with the convenience of shopping at their local market.”

Loop has partnered with multiple large food conglomerates in the U.S including Kraft Heinz, Mars, Coca-Cola and more. The program has also been piloted in food service with Burger King and Tim Horton’s and has launched similar models at the retail level in Canada, U.K., Australia, France and Japan.

Swapples Acquired By Stone’s Throw Foods

Gluten-free breakfast brand Swapples has been acquired by another gluten-free breakfast maker: Stone’s Throw Foods. The two Washington D.C.-based companies finalized the deal in May, according to the announcement this week.

Swapples, which is also paleo-friendly and plant-based, produces three waffle mix SKUs – Cinnamon, Blueberry and Chocolate Chip – made with grain-free yuca root flour and natural sweeteners. The acquisition will see the brand’s manufacturing move in-house to Union Kitchen’s new manufacturing facility.

“Swapples’ standards for quality and clean ingredients fit perfectly into what Stone’s Throw Foods is all about,” said Ben James, founder of Stone’s Throw Foods, in a press release. “Although yuca is not sourced domestically in the U.S., Swapples offer an opportunity to broaden our impact with sustainable food contributions. We will continue to give 1% to regional and local farming initiatives with Stone’s Throw Foods and will look for ways to support yuca farmers as well.”

According to James, the deal will support Stone’s Throw Foods’ rapid growth, including new partnerships with KeHE and UNFI. The company said it sees this as an opportunity to build out a portfolio of gluten-free, clean label products that cater to use occasions beyond breakfast including lunch, dinner and snacks.

Morningstar Factory Workers Look To Unionize

A month after Kellogg’s announced it will divide up its business into three, separate corporations – Global Snacking Co., North America Cereal Co. and Plant Co. – workers at its Zanesville, Ohio manufacturing plant have announced their intention to unionize.

Over half of the workers at the factory, which manufactures products for plant-based brand Morningstar Farms, have signed The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco, and Grain Millers (BCTGM) International Union’s petition, which was filed with the National Labor Relations Board earlier this week. According to a statement from a union representative, Lisa Gregory, the plant’s workers are unionizing to ​​fight mandatory overtime policies, favoritism and high health-insurance costs.

Shinsegae Food Invests $6 Million Into Better Foods

South Korean company Shinsegae Foods announced a $6 million investment into the production of its U.S. plant-based food manufacturing subsidiary, Better Foods. Additionally, the company said it will put an additional $4 million into the Better Foods business early next year by issuing new shares.

The investment will give Shinsegae a presence in the global plant-based meat market, beginning with the distribution of Better Meat products to U.S retailers and online marketplaces. Currently, Better Meat products are only available in South Korea through an affiliate partnership with Starbucks but the company said it will look to add production capabilities outside of Korea once it has established Better Meat stateside.

“We plan to create momentum in expanding our alternative meat business with Better Foods,” the company’s spokesman said in a statement. “We will participate in various activities to make our Better Meat brand into an alternative meat provider that leads not only to the local market but also to markets abroad.”

Ginkgo and Bayer Expand AgBio Partnership

Biotech company Ginkgo Bioworks and Bayer have expanded their partnership to develop an agricultural biological platform that will focus on new nitrogen fixation, crop protection and carbon sequestration programs. The announcement will also see Ginkgo acquire Bayer’s 175,000 sq.ft R&D site in Sacramento, California, as well as its staff and internal discovery and lead optimization platform for approximately $83 million. The deal will also bring R&D assets from Joyn Bio, a joint-venture between Ginkgo and Bayer, into its new capabilities within the facility.

“To ensure sustainable food security for an ever growing population, we need to invest in biological solutions,” said Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks, in a press release. “By acquiring one of the premier R&D sites for agricultural biologicals worldwide and partnering with the best-in-class teams at Bayer and Joyn, we are demonstrating our commitment to developing breakthrough products for growers around the world. We are excited to be able to make this platform accessible to innovative companies and teams who may otherwise not have the resources or expertise to develop these capabilities in house.”